Orichalcum

[Delbareth]

Hi
As you are now here, let's look at other questions.

In the orichalcum page, you mention that orichalcum can be used to "put magic in it", like defensive spell and such.
Do you imply that no other material can store spells.

I mean, if I want a magical sword (to take a very basic instinct), the sword would have to inculde an orichalcum stone in the pommel?
Does all magical item needs orichalcum?
If not, what is the need of using "orichalcum with a defensive spell", why not another material?

In my game, I've defined A LOT of different materials (from stone to gold, from diamond to fire agate...) each of them having their own capability (amount of magical energy, destructive interaction with the spell...). In fact a sorcerer can use the material he wants, but only few of them are good for that.

[David Roomes]

As always each DM is free to adapt things for their own campaign. Having said that, the way I envision it is like this:

Orichcalum is the only naturally occurring substance that can store magical energy. In other words, it can store magical energy, but the stone itself is natural and non-magical. It's just a way to store raw magical energy. And orichcalcum is re-useable... a bit like a rechargeable battery with a limited lifespan. There are no other naturally occurring substances that can store energy in quite the same way. The sunder shards store magical energy, but they are different. They store a LOT more energy, they are much more rare and they are not re-useable.

When it comes to magic item creation, I don't require orichcalcum to be incorporated into a magic item. Some magic items probably would have some orichcalcum in them, depending on their exact nature and function. But many would not. Furthermore, any magic item could be created in such a way that it could store raw magical energy. For instance, if a wizard wanted to, he could create a sword (or necklace or ring or anything) that could store a specific spell, or set of spells, or even raw magical energy. Yes, I would allow a wizard to create such an item. Incorporating an actual piece of orichcalcum into an item would make it easier to store spells or energy in the item (therefore, maybe a less skilled wizard could do it), but it would not necessarily be required. It would be more difficult, but certainly possible, to create such an item using no orichcalcum at all (requiring a more skilled wizard to do it).

Orichcalcum, by itself, can only store raw magical energy, not specific spells. I touched up the orichcalcum page a little to reflect that. But, as I envision it, orichcalcum ONLY stores raw energy, not specific spells.

I had one player who was running a wizard and he kept a couple of pieces of orichcalcum on his person (carefully hidden). He kept it charged and used it as an "emergency" power source. So, if he was ever really pressed and had run out of magic, he could utilize the energy in the orichcalcum. It only gave him a spell or two, but it was enough to get him out of the occasionally sticky situation.

I should point out that we were using a spell point system, not the traditional "memorize your spells at the beginning of the day" type of AD&D. But a pure spell point system. So, it was fairly easy to incorporate orichcalcum into the game. The orichcalcum merely gave his wizard a couple of extra spell energy points. It was not a specific spell that was stored, just a couple of points. Enough for one or two minor spells.

Now, that's how I use it, but other DMs are certainly welcome to modify things in their campaigns.

Does that clarify things or did I confuse the issue further?

[Delbareth]

It's very clear!
In fact we have about the same use of it, since I was very unconfortable with the use of orichalcum as full spell storer.

One of my player play a sorcerer (a mentalist : emotion reading, influence, mental illusion, desire implantation...) and also use orichalcum. A big piece for large spell and an smaller one when on the move.
In my system of sorcery, the use of orichalcum is much more complex but it helps to construct a spell, espacially "powerful" spell (large power, long time, multiple effects...).

But you catch my attention with the stationnary shielding effect of the charged orichalcum. I love the "rubble" technique!
I wil try to use that in my game.

[Laurent MEKKA]

My humble take on it :
Using magic is playing with the web of reality, it's tiresome, it doesn't make lose "magic points" but hp. (I'm playing pathfinder with a few houserules, and took the magic system from microlite20).
Magic users start with same HP as other classes, no less. They are more fragile because they are drained by the spells.
So, insteand of health, it's possible to use a charged Orichalcum.

Sometimes Orichalcum is embedded into a magic weapon, and can be used by non-magic user, if enchanted (the orichalcum is the battery, the effect of the spell is "everywhere"). There's a duration before Orichalcum has to be reloaded (many days).
Sometimes, into a wand or something else, and is used by the magic user as a battery, and the orichalcum loses points instead of the magic user.

It can be reloaded by the magic user (losing health points).

Maybe it could be a reason to sacrifices in order to do a ritual, the hp of the sacrified victim is used, as the victim is used as a battery too...
Or sacrifices to load a big piece of orichalcum.

[Delbareth]

Glad to see you back on this forum Laurent.

Like you I don't like the all the "magic points" system (mana, magicka, etc...) and in my system also it costs normal "health point".
But it's the fatigue to manage the magical energy, not to fuel the spell. The is not usable for me.

Anyway, I like your idea a lot!